Tapping Technique: Growing Up Method

From Immature and Out-of-Control to Mature, Wise and Free

In this article, I explain the tapping technique I’ve created, called the Growing Up Tapping Technique. This is an EFT guide to making your tapping therapy easy and effective.

If you’d like this EFT tapping method in a printable, eBook format, sign up at the top and I’ll send it to you – free! This method can take your emotional tapping to the next level.

The Growing Up Method – From Whining to Winning

I call it the Growing Up Method, because it takes you from a petty and childish emotional state to an empowered state of resourcefulness, responsibility and wisdom.

First, as with all EFT, you begin with Tuning In, taking an Assessment and doing the Set Up. After that, you’re ready for tapping.

Step One: Dumping

When you first tune in to a strong emotional issue…

…you may hear things a two, five, 10 or 15-year old might think and feel.

Dumping is the ideal place to start, when you’re in that immature place.

In other words, for the first phase and rounds of this tapping technique, allow yourself be petty and childish.

Dump, vent, rant, whine, complain, moan, gripe.

Let all the negative out.

Don’t worry about accentuating or increasing the positive –

- you are doing a psychological cleanse.

Up and out with those petty thoughts and emotions.

If you ignore the crummy thoughts and feelings, try to deny or repress them, they will prevent you from fully resolving the issue. You’ll have an inner conflict, even if you’re not consciously aware of it.

After a few rounds of Dumping, you’ll feel a lot better.

But often not quite good enough to state a totally positive affirmation. If you do, before all of you is on board, you’ll get a mental rebuttal and a physical objection (in the form of restriction, tightness, contraction, pain).

The objecting parts of your body and mind will sabotage your positive intentions.

With the Growing Up EFT technique, you gradually move to a totally positive space and prevent self-sabotage.

We’ll continue the example of feeling overwhelmed. (Go to EFT tapping points for a tapping refresher). You’re first round of tapping might go like this:

Eyebrow: I’m so overwhelmed.Side of Eye: I’ve got so much to do.Under Eye: There’s so much going on in my life.Under Nose: I can’t do it all.Chin: It’s too much.Collarbone: I just can’t handle everything that’s going on.Under Arm: I feel stressed an anxious.Top of Head: I’m so overwhelmed.

Tap one or several rounds in the Dumping phase. As you do this, if you are really tuned into your various thoughts and feelings about your issue, you will feel lighter and more free, as you tap.

Take a deep breath and tune in again. Take your assessment from 0-10.

When you’re feeling somewhat better, down from where you started (or from an 8, 9 or 10) to somewhere between 4 and 7, move to Dreaming.

Step Two: Dreaming

Dreaming is the way we sneak the change we want by the conscious and unconscious gatekeepers that don’t want us to change.

In this tapping technique, we are introducing the possibility of letting go of the stuck place, without raising so many objections.

In the dreaming phase, we start our EFT affirmations with the words,

“Wouldn’t it be nice if…”
“Wouldn’t it be great if…,” or
“What if…”

In our overwhelm example, this might be your Dreaming tapping round:

Eyebrow: What if I could slow down a little?Side of Eye: What if I could acknowledge that I don’t have to do everything right now?Under Eye: What if could just focus on one task at a time?Under Nose: Wouldn’t it be nice if I could relax, knowing I can’t get it all done in a day?Chin: Wouldn’t it be nice if I could feel more confidence in myself?Collarbone: Wouldn’t it be nice if I could trust that it will all work out?Under Arm: What if I could focus on just the most important thing first?Top of Head: What if I could let go of everything else?

You can do one, or several rounds in this Dreaming phase.

As always, before moving to the next phase, take a deep breath, tune in and get a number to assess where you are now.

Then, when you feel quite positive (at a 3 or lower), move to the final phase, Deciding.

Step Three: Deciding

This will be your final round or two. Its intent is to bring you to a fully positive and empowered state, with your desired result.

You begin your EFT affirmations in this Deciding part of the process with the phrases,

“I have decided…” and“I choose…”

To continue our example of tapping on feeling overwhelmed, this final round would go like this:

Eyebrow: I have decided I actually can handle everything I want and need to do.Side of Eye: I have decided to focus on just one task at a time.Under Eye: I have decided to feel confident about my abilities.Under Nose: I choose to relax and do one thing at a time.Chin: I choose to trust my judgment.Collarbone: I choose to know that it will all work out fine.Under Arm: I choose to remember I’m good at prioritizing.Top of Head: I have decided to feel calm and confident.

If, in any stage of this process, a new disturbing emotion or memory arises, take a little side-trip by returning to Dumping to clear it. Use the whole Growing Up process on that new emotion or memory. Then return to the place you left off in the process.